Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for an additional minute.

Stir the vodka, crushed tomatoes and light cream into the onion mixture, turn heat to high, and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir in the Romano cheese and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season finished sauce with salt and pepper.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and pour vodka sauce over, tossing to coat pasta with the sauce to serve.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Aug 17, 2009

Wow! This was very good. I sauteed the garlic along with the onion then added the crushed red pepper flakes. After adding the crushed tomatoes I added 1 Tbsp. of basil, 1/4 tsp. of oregano, 1 tsp. of parsley, 1/2 tsp. of salt and 2 tsp. of sugar. I also used a good vodka and half and half instead of light cream and parmesan instead of romano (didn't have any on hand). I used 1/2 pound of penne pasta and served this with garlic breadsticks. The sauce was even better the next day!

Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 28, 2011

Everyone thought this sauce was good. I liked adding the romano cheese it was different. I would make it again but this doesn't taste anything like penne a la vodka from an Italian Restaurant in NYC that's for sure. Plus I took the advice from other reviews and added 2 tsp of sugar. Next time I will do 1 tsp but it def needed sugar. Also next time i will try a little less vodka

If you are reading this review you should know there is no reason to try any other recipe. THIS IS THE BEST and so easy! Some other recipes are overly complicated. This is simple and delicious. Thank you LJ! This is amazing!

This was absolutely wonderful. We had invited some friends over and I was looking for vegetarian recipes. It was a hit with everyone! I had calculated for 12 people and was afraid there wouldn't be enough when I saw the amount of sauce. I did use only one 1/2 boxes of Penne Pasta but had more than enough for everyone.

This was easy and excellent. I didn't have 2 hours for it to simmer and it was delicious after only about 10 minutes of cooking. Added some extra red pepper flakes because we like it spicy. Also added some vegetables to the pasta: greens, chopped fennel, and zucchini. delicious!!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.